Chapter 20

"Yes, ma'am I will".

With a smile on her face, she hung up the phone and turned to face Gael and his mother, the poor lady was already scared because of the conversation that she had listened to.

Detecting how tense the atmosphere was, she walked lamely closer to her with a smile telling her not to be sad as no one was going to come to bother her. Listening to the lightning that was sounding in the sky, she felt frightened and Gael could see that but the breeze that was blowing out there reminded her of where she was in a raw environment.

The weather had changed and Gael came closer to Yvonne and sat down beside her. He was surprised at her simplicity and he had come to understand that she was behaving the way she always does just because she wished to shield herself from the hurts of the world.

Gaels mom had a problem with the ingredients that were needed in the kitchen. Calling on him to come by, Yvonne wondered why she had to be cooking in the night and her body was already itching her as she had no bath.

Remembering that she was in a rural area, she thought of asking Gael where they are as it seemed far but his facial expression with that of his mother had changed. Noticing his mother looked worried, she asked her what the matter was but she said it was nothing.

Raising her gaze to her son, she felt embarrassed about the situation and Gael did not like keeping money at his house, and also the little change he had inside his wallet was not enough.

" I don't want to bother you dear it's nothing".

"You are not a bother to me ma'am as you have harbored me in your house without any trouble not knowing who I am or where I am coming from," she mumbled. Her words were so soothing that his mother felt like she had always known her for a long period. Lowering her gaze, she told Yvonne that the stove had just turned off and the oil was finished as well.

Yvonne felt bad about how basic things like that could be a major problem to some people. Turning her eyes to Gael as though she was disappointed in him, she asked how much everything cost and his mom responded,

"It cost five thousand francs CFA".

Wondering in her what five thousand francs was, Yvonne picked up her bag and taking out her wallet, counted some money and handed over fifty thousand francs CFA to her.

Shocked by what had just happened, Gael opened his mouth as his mother counted the cash in front of him, and with tears in her eyes, she said,

" I asked for five thousand dearly but this is fifty thousand francs, I can't accept it".

Yvonne let out a smile and without any pressure, she reminded his mom how she helped her and took care of her without even knowing who she is nor where she was coming from, so that was her little ash of showing appreciation.

Her eyes were filled with so much joy but tears could not stop flowing down her eyes. Moved by her kind gesture, Gael thanked her but Yvonne immediately giving him a spiteful look notified him that she did not do that to him but for his mom.

Gaels mom could see that both of them had a pending issue that she did not have to get involved.

"You both remind me so much of my youthful relationship with Gael's dad," she murmured but Yvonne being quick to reject her thoughts, turned her face to the other side of the yard.

"Who told you that I want to have such a naughty human being for a wife," his words hurt and at that point, his mother asked them to stop and make peace.

Not being able to keep a serious face for long with the kind of movie that she was watching, she asked why they were always on each other's toes but Yvonne said that Gael was just the opposite of his mom, narrated how he only causes her nothing but troubles.

His mother told Gael to get some money and go down the road to get a new stove and also with some oil which he did as the weather was changing.

"I think I need to go then, it is obvious that the rain will pour out much won't have to be at home before it starts," she muttered. But Gael quickly asking her not to leave, left Yvonne and his mother dump founded as they looked at him in surprise in wonder to what he was making an effort to say.

"What I meant by that is the fact that it is late and your leg is still not healed, so you can spend the night here," he strived to defend himself but Yvonne did not know whether it was a good idea as she had never spent the night in such a place.

"Are you scared Yvonne?" his mom asked but she could not answer her question, but Gael telling her that she had nothing to be scared of, made Yvonne more frightened actually. She looked at her car for some seconds and Gael noticing the direction of her eyes, calmly said,

"We do not steal here".

That was solacing as she had no idea of how they function there. Taking a deep breath and letting it out, she looked at the start of her leg without any hopes of surfing alone, she accepted to sleep but first asked that she needed to bathe and have a change of clothes cuz she could not sleep in what she was wearing.

"No I have no problem with that, I will send you some clothes though they seem not as classic and beautiful like the ones you are used to with, they are comfortable". He muttered with his eyes looking at her.